Lunt–Fontanne Theatre
Lunt–Fontanne Theatre
Globe Theatre (1910–1957) | |
Address | 205 West 46th Street New York, New York United States |
---|---|
Coordinates | 40°45′33″N 73°59′10″W [12] |
Owner | Stahl Organization and Nederlander Organization |
Operator | Nederlander Organization |
Type | Broadway |
Capacity | 1,509 |
Construction | |
Opened | January 10, 1910 |
Closed | 1931 |
Reopened | May 5, 1958 |
Rebuilt | 1957 |
Years active | 1910–1931 1958–present |
Architect | Carrere & Hastings |
Website | |
broadwaydirect.com/venue/lunt-fontanne-theatre/ [13] |

Cigarette trading card showing the Globe Theatre, c. 1910s
The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre (previously known as the Globe Theatre) is a Broadway theatre located at 205 West 46th Street in Midtown Manhattan.
Globe Theatre (1910–1957) | |
Address | 205 West 46th Street New York, New York United States |
---|---|
Coordinates | 40°45′33″N 73°59′10″W [12] |
Owner | Stahl Organization and Nederlander Organization |
Operator | Nederlander Organization |
Type | Broadway |
Capacity | 1,509 |
Construction | |
Opened | January 10, 1910 |
Closed | 1931 |
Reopened | May 5, 1958 |
Rebuilt | 1957 |
Years active | 1910–1931 1958–present |
Architect | Carrere & Hastings |
Website | |
broadwaydirect.com/venue/lunt-fontanne-theatre/ [13] |
History
Designed by the architect firm of Carrere and Hastings, it was built by producer Charles Dillingham and opened as the Globe Theatre (in honor of London's Shakespearean playhouse) on January 10, 1910 with a musical entitled The Old Town. Although it was situated on 46th street with a grand Beaux-Arts facade, it also had a small entrance on Broadway between 46th and 47th Streets. Most of the Globe's early shows were dramatic plays, including two revivals of La Dame aux Camélias. In the late teens and 1920s, the focus shifted to musicals.
The original design and construction called for the ceiling and the roof 20 feet above it to roll back to reveal starlight and keep the theatre cooler in summer. No other Broadway theatre had such a design. There is no record of it ever actually opening. Other innovations included seats being individually cooled by ice or heated by hot air from vents underneath.[1]
In the 1930s, the Globe was converted into a movie house operated by the Brandt chain. City Playhouses Inc. (which consisted of developers Robert W. Dowling and William Zeckendorf) bought it in 1957 and had the firm Roche and Roche gut renovate it. Major changes were made, including the removal of the second balcony level, the Broadway entrance, and much of the original decor. It was rechristened the Lunt-Fontanne in honor of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne and reopened on May 5, 1958 with Friedrich Dürrenmatt's The Visit, starring the distinguished theatrical couple.
Production history
1910: The Echo[5], which featured the now-popular song Skidamarink
1914: Chin Chin
1918: Ziegfeld Follies
1920: George White's Scandals
1925: Aren't We All?; No, No, Nanette
1928: She's My Baby with Clifton Webb as Clyde Parker[6]
1931: The Cat and the Fiddle
1958: Goldilocks
1959: The Sound of Music
1962: Little Me
1964: Ben Franklin in Paris
1965: Skyscraper
1966: Walking Happy
1967: How Now, Dow Jones
1967: Marlene Dietrich in concert
1968: Her First Roman
1970: The Rothschilds
1972: Ambassador
1973: 6 Rms Riv Vu
1974: The Sunshine Boys
1978: Hello, Dolly!
1979: Beatlemania
1980: Peter Pan
1981: Sophisticated Ladies
1983: Private Lives
1984: The Wiz
1986: Smile
1995: Hello, Dolly!
1997: Titanic
1999: Beauty and the Beast
2007: The Little Mermaid
2010: The Addams Family
2012: Ghost the Musical; A Christmas Story: The Musical
2013: Motown: The Musical
2015: Finding Neverland
2016: Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons on Broadway!; Kristin Chenoweth: My Love Letter to Broadway
2017: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
2018: Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
2019: Morrissey; Pure Yanni; Mel Brooks on Broadway; Regina Spektor: Live on Broadway; Criss Angel Raw — The Mindfreak Unplugged; Dave Chappelle Live on Broadway; Manilow Broadway; Tina: The Musical
See also
List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan from 59th to 110th Streets
National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan above 59th to 110th Streets